Road-cart



(No Model.)

C. FAHRNEY.-

ROAD UART.

No. 431,569. Patented July 8, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OALLO FAHRNEY, OF POLO, ILLINOIS.

ROAD- CART.

SPECIFICATION formingjpart of Letters Patent No. 431,569, dated July 8, 1890.

Application led March 12, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GALLO FAHRNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Polo, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Carts and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which' it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of road-carts in which the body of Y the vehicle is supported ou suitable springs from the thills; and the objects of my improvements are, first, to interpose between the front end of said body and the cross-bar which unites the thills a medium of connection rigidly affixed at one end to said bar and at the other to said body, and yet affording in itself the necessary and sucient flexibility or elasticity in all directionsto prevent the jar or oscillation of said cross-bar from being imparted to the body of the vehicle. If the connection of the body at its front end to the thills or cross-bar has no elasticity, the jar or oscillation of the latter parts will be communicated to the foot-board portion of the body of the vehicle in successive concussions, while if said connection is an articulated one of any description it produces an unpleasant clatter or rattle. The object of my improvement, therefore, in this department is to avoid the noise of an articulated connection by making the attachments of my intermediate connection rigidat all points, and to avoid imparting pulsations from the cross-bar to the body by making said intermediate connection inherently of an elastic character and form, and therefore flexible in every direction.

Second. The object of my improvement is to afford means of changing the angle of the occupants seat with reference to the parts supporting the same. With the seat of arcadcart in one fixed relation tothe residue of the latter lthe use of horses` of a different serai No. 343,579. (No model.)

vention 'is to adjust the position or plane ofthe occupants seat to the variant'altitudes of the thills or to the amount of pressure upon said springs.

I attainA these objectshby the mechanism .Y

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichv Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of'a cart embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front view of the attachment of the intermediate attachment H to the cross-bar connecting the thills. Fig. 3 is a view of the under side of part of the vehicle and of said bar and attachment of said connection thereto. Fig. 4 is a vertical view of the seat-adjusting devices.

As my invention is adapted to be used in most of the well-known forms of carts and pertains only to the two departments named, l do not deem it essentialto show or describe the vehicle any farther than will render intelligible the location and operation of my improvements.

Referring to the first part of my invention, A A are the thills, supported in the usual `mode upon the axle B.

C is a cross-bar connecting the thills A at the front end of the body of the vehicle, and to which the draft is applied.

D is the body of the vehicle, consisting of the seat E and foot-board F, integral with each other and supported from the thills A upon suitable springs G at about the arch of said thills. v

H is the means of interconnection of the foot-board F and cross-bar C, and consists of u said spring at its lowerend and pass up through the bar C, and are fastened upon the upper surface of the latter by ordinary nuts 3. By this means the spring H is held tightly at its central portion against the bar C, and by means of the loop l being held against the plane of the lower side of said bar is pre vented from turning. The portion of the spring H between the bolts 2 is held rigidly against said bar from both lateral oscillation or casual rotation, and is consequently noiseless. The space between the bolts 2 is about four inches, and the spring H is about twentysix inches in its entire width. From about an inch outside of each bolt 2 the part 4 of said spring H is bent downward from the bar C to the point where said spring is bent backward. (See Fig. 2.) The ends 6 of said spring, which extend backward in line with the vehicle, are about six inches in length, and are fastened, respectively, to the foot-board F by an eyebolt 7, through which the end of the 'spring is passed, and by bolts 8, which attach said spring at its ends to the foot-board F. This junction of the ends 6 of the spring H with the foot-board is rigid and tight, so as topermit no oscillation or rattling. The elasticity of the spring H inheres in both ends thereof from the point near the bolts 2, where the contact with the cross-bar C ceases. The parts 4 of the spring H permit the necessary lateral oscillation, and the parts 4, together with parts 6, permit the necessary vertical movement, so that the jar or concussion of the bar C is exhausted in the springHbefore reaching the foot-board F. There is also suf- Iicient longitudinal movement of the bar C obviated or exhausted by the spring H to prevent what is termed horse motion from being communicated to the foot-board F or body D. In fact, the torsional character of the spring H is such that, together with the vertical elasticity of the parts 4, the connection of the foot-board F to the cross-bar C is elastic and iiexible in every direction, while at the same time both the front and rear attachments of said spring are rigid.

Referring to Fig. l, J is the occupants seat, which is pivoted about centrally on the seatstandard K by means of a transverse bolt passed transversely through the upper end of the standard K and the cleat L, which supports the seat J. VNear the front end of the cleat L is pivotally attached the upper end of a'depending rod M, which is held adjustably near its lower end against the seat-standard by a hook bolt 10, the front end of which embraces the rod M, and the shank of which extends through the seat-standard K, and `is provided at its rear end with the thumb-nut l1, and by the loosening and tightening of the bolt l0 the rod M can be adjusted vertically and held rigidly, as may be required. Inasmuch as the pivot 9 is about under the center of gravity of the seat J when occupied, but little strain is exerted upon the rod M, and the latter is therefore easily held in position.

By the adjustment of the seat J described the latter can be set at the proper angle for comfort in reference to the weight to be carried upon the seat, so that the greater depression of the entire seat caused by two occupants, or one heavy person, will not give the seat J a backward and uncomfortable inclination, and said seat J can also be adjusted to the proper position with reference to the height of horses employed.' In addition to the noisless, rigid, and elastic character of the front connection heretofore mentioned, an advantage in the use of spring H consists in the fact that while the springs G, which support the body D, are of sufficient strength to carry two persons, when there is but one occupant of the vehicle he can sit at one end of the seat J and be carried almost'wholly upon vone of said supporting-springs G, the spring H permitting this without a resulting twist to the body D.

I am aware that vehicle-seats have heretofore been pivoted adj ustably at one end; but my central pivoting of the seat requires less movement of the adjusting devices to effect the desired change, and involves substantially no weight of the occupant upon said devices.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

The spring H, provided with the central IOO loop l, lateral depending portions 4, and rearward extensions 6, and adapted to be rigidly connected centrally to the cross-bar C or its equivalent, and rigidly connected at its extremities 6 to-the front end of the body D, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described. Y

2. The combination of the cross-bar C, the spring H, provided with central loop l, rigidly attached to said bar and with the lateral extensions 4, and rear extensions 6, and the body D, rigidly attached to said extremities 6, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the spring H, provided with central loop l, lateral extensions 4, and rear extensions 6, the cross-bar C, vertical bolts 3, body D, and attachments 8 and 7,

substantially as shown, and for the purpose i described.

4. The combination of the thills A A, suitably supported at their rear ends upon the axle B, the cross-bar C, the body D, suitably supported about centrally from said thills, and the spring H, rigidly attached centrally to said cross-bar C and extended outwardly and rearwardly from said central attachment, and rigidly attached at its extremities to the body D, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the seat-standard K, seat J, pivotally attached centrally to the up- IIO ` per end of said standard, the rod M, pivotally In testimony whereof .I affix my signature in connected at 'its upper end to the front end presence of two Witnesses. of said seat, and the bolt 10, seated in said standard and provided with thumb-screw 11, GALLO FAHRNEY' and adapted yco adjustably hold said rod Witnesses: f against said standard, substantially as shown, G. W. HARSHMAN,

and for the purpose described. C. E. SMITH. 

